Captivate
by XXXAxelleXXX
Summary: Too many bad things had come to Sakura in the past years.She had matured, become beautiful, and grown stronger. Now, falling into the hands of the Akatsuki... she never expected to fall herself. But not without one hell of a fight. SakuraXAkatsuki
1. Chapter 1 : Girl Talk

**Hey, everyone! I'm new at Fanfiction, but I don't think I'm completely inexperienced, for a newbie. Hopefully, you'll give me a nice welcome XD! By the way, I don't really dig writing the disclaimer like a hundred times, so I'll just say it right here for the whole shebang: I do not own Naruto. Shocking, right? Anyways, this is the first chapter, and I would absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE you all if you reviewed and told me what you liked and didn't like. But that's for later…now…you must read, my friends! Anyyyyywayyys, I hope ya'll bitches love it ;).**

**1**

**Girl Talk**

I unzipped the opening to the tent, my body aching all over. I slipped in with about the gracefulness of an overweight elephant and shrugged off my favorite leather boots. Listening to the footsteps approaching outside, most likely Tenten, I stretched out my body as hard as I could and collapsed into my sleeping bag. A few seconds later, I heard the entrance to the small little tent unzip again, and the cold night air wafted in. I remained motionless, confident of my advanced deceiving skills.

"So, Sakura. Tell me _everything_, and no holding back." Tenten said, and I could just tell she was grinning down at my balled figure.

"Aah, she caught me." I rolled over to face her, not surprised at all. We'd gotten to know each other quite well over the past few months, since we started getting placed on the same missions. This time we were ordered to, yes, capture Sasuke Uchiha, ex-teammate, long time bastard. I didn't even have enough fingers to count how many times I'd been on this same exact mission. But that sure as hell didn't mean I wasn't determined to get it done.

"Yeah, well, I heard you lovely entrance not too long ago." She laughed, and settled down into her sleeping bag next to mine. I rolled my eyes.

"And what exactly do you mean, _everything_?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She looked innocent. To the untrained eye, at least. I gave her a knowing look.

"Okay, okay. I just thought tonight would be nice for a little girl talk about you-know-who." she propped her chin on her hand, and returned my knowing look.

"Whaaat?" I laughed, scratching my head. I bet our male teammates next door were getting a load of this. She gave me a serious look.

"Oh, come one, they're not even there! I checked. They went out to the river, for only god knows why."

"For some male-bonding skinny-dipping, maybe?" I grinned, trying unsuccessfully to erase the disturbing image from my mind. We both shivered.

"Wait, wait, wait! Nice try, but no changing the subject! Please, just some one-on-one girl talk?" she pleaded earnestly. I let the next several seconds pass silently, determining whether I should give in. She tilted her head at me, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Shouldn't we be more focused on the mission? We should rest up, right? We have to bring Sasuke back to Konoha, you know." I tried uselessly one last time. She didn't respond, only stared at me. I sighed, already knowing what she was going to bring up.

"Oh, jeez. Fine." I consented, already knowing that this conversation was headed down the one-way road of ultimate pointlessness. She smiled at me.

"Okay, soo…" she started, looking for a place to start.

"Shoot."

"Naruto." she smirked.

"_Whaaat?_" I said for the second time, staring at her like she was nuts. Where was she going with this?

"You heard me. But just to confirm a double check, I'll say it again: NARUTO. I'd even give you a third che-"

"No, no, no, I heard you alright. What I did not hear was the warning me that you're totally crazy." I exclaimed, rolling over to my back and gazing at the ceiling of our tent. She edged closer, persistent in that oh-so-endearing way of hers.

"Don't hide it. I've seen how you guys act around each other, and let me tell you, it's _obvious_." She pointed a finger at me, looking frighteningly determined.

"Tenten…I-"

"You look at him when he's not looking-"

"No, I don't!" I protested.

"He looks at you when you're not looking…"

"Really?" I asked curiously.

"_Duhhh_. He's been in love with you since we were kids, for God's sake! And I know that you like him, even if you haven't realized it yet." She sounded exasperated. I frowned at her.

"I think I would know if I was madly in love with my best male friend."

"But you don't." Tenten wiggled her index finger in front of my face. I stared at her, almost speechless.

"Listen, Ten. I've known Naruto for a really long time, and I don't want to ruin our friendship. And I _know_ that he's liked me for just as long, but what if he's already over me? It's been four years. That's a long time to love someone, someone who's too ignorant to realize they should be giving that same love back. I would have given up, and you _know_ me. There's no justice in giving your heart to someone who doesn't even want it." I finished, realizing the truth of my words and what it must have sounded like. I wished I hadn't spoken at all.

The conversation grew silent. I found Tenten staring at me, concerned.

"Sakura…Maybe you-"

"Maybe I shouldn't have gone on this mission? Not a chance. I'd never pass up the opportunity to kick that guy's ass." I chuckled humorlessly.

"But are you still in love with him?" she asked, eyebrows furrowed. I turned my head and looked her straight in the eyes.

"I'm over Sasuke. I have been for a really long time. And I'll be _damned_ if I ever go into that pathetic state again." My gaze was hard and meaningful. And I meant every bit of it.

I glanced off into the distance for a few moments, and then turned back to Tenten. She had a smile on her face, and I gave a similar smile back.

"That's good, Sakura. Really good."

It was silent once again. I inhaled deeply.

"Okay, I'm afraid this is way too melodramatic. Back to what we were talking about, _please_." I gave a small laugh that to me, sounded like it tried too hard. Thankfully, she didn't notice.

"Oh, so _want_ to talk more Naruto? Have my ears fooled me?" she gasped, her hand at her neck mockingly. A grin finally lit up her face.

"Oh, you shut up." I glared at her.

"But I know that he is still in love with you. Absolutely." She said, as a response to what I'd said earlier.

"Oh, and how did you find that? Your sixth sense, I suppose?" I answered sarcastically. I really didn't know why she was so persistent about this.

"You should stop giving him a hard time. Everyone's waiting for it, you know. All our friends, the villagers, the Hokage-"

"That is_ so_ not true! You're out of line." I scoffed at her.

"Well, if you don't do something, he will. Who knows, he might get a little aggressive on you, eh? That'd be fun to watch." She grinned, looking suggestively at me. I stared at her, an idea creeping into my mind.

"_Well_, how are you and Neji doing?" I smiled, leaning forward. She averted her eyes, a tint of pink on her cheeks.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"We are having a girl talk, aren't we?" I shrugged, amused. She narrowed her eyes at me.

"We're doing a hell of a lot better than you and Naruto, I'd say!" she exclaimed. I jumped up, covering her mouth, my face red.

"What if they heard that?" I said, embarrassed.

"We are having a girl talk, aren't we?" she shrugged, trying not to smile. I glared at her.

"I despise you." I sat back down into my sleeping bag, stubborn.

"Hey, I love you too."

"If they heard any of that, I'll kill you, you know that?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She said, completely ignoring my threat. Instead, she continued on. "So, if you supposedly "don't like Naruto", then are you saying that you're still looking for that special someone?"

"In a way, I guess. But I don't really think about things like that so much anymore. I'm always so busy." I shrugged, examining my fingernails.

"Well, there's a lot of handsome faces around, whether you notice them or not." Tenten noted, tapping her chin. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Really? Who?"

"There are a lot of cute guys in Konoha, but the most - dare I say – _fetching _ones are little bit _out of reach_." She hinted, expecting me to pick up.

"Elaborate, please." I said, and she sighed.

"Remember a few weeks ago when we had that impromptu sleepover at Ino's house? And what topic we unintentionally came across?..." she trailed off. I stared back at her, trying to recall. My eyes widened as I remembered.

"_S-class criminals, Tenten?_ Are you serious?" I hissed at her, feeling the wave of stupidity wash over for even realizing we had talked about such things.

"Hey, I'm not saying you should ask one of 'em to stuff you in a couch and gorilla fuck you! Ino brought it up, I just wanted to take a second to establish that some of those guys are shockingly attractive!" she exclaimed, holding her hands up in the air.

"In the _Akatsuki_?" I lowered my voice, realizing we were increasing volume with each sentence.

"Yeah, but I was just saying. I'm not as nuts as Ino and her boy-crazed ideals!" she whispered. I calmed myself down with a deep breath.

"Sorry, Ten. But gosh, if anyone ever heard us, we'd be in deep shit." I apologized.

"Don't you agree with me though? That some of them are stunningly gorgeous? I'm sure the thought has crossed the minds of every girl at least once." She pointed out. I bit my lip.

"Well, maybe once or twice when I was looking through the Bingo books. But that doesn't mean I would ever consider being interested in one. I kind of like my body in one piece, if you know what I mean." I admitted, scratching my head.

"Agreed. I bet they get a lot of women, don't you think?"

"Why would they? They're S-class psycho's with probably mentally unstable minds."

"Well, there's the Uchiha who's always been popular with the ladies, younger or older. And that blonde guy with the mouths on his hands, you know he's not inexperienced." She explained. I pondered it for a moment.

"And that one guy with the silver hair, he has incredible movie-star good looks." She said, somewhat dreamily.

"The religious one? He's like borderline psychotic. Or never mind that, he's just plain _psychotic._" I cut in, remembering when I briefly met him in battle.

"True." It was silent for a few moments, until something dawned on me.

"Why are we even going so in-depth with this conversation?" I asked. She blinked.

"Well, hell. I don't know." She rubbed her eyes with a small chuckle. Outside our tent, I heard the rambunctious sounds of our male teammates coming back from the lake.

"Once again, if anyone heard this whole exchange of words, I'm going to kill you." I warned her. She smiled at me.

"We'll find out soon enough. We need to be rested up for tomorrow, so I'll let you off the hook for now. 'Night, Sakura." She yawned, stretching out her body. I switched of the tent lantern, and then did the same.

"Sweet dreams, Ten."

"At least I know what you'll be dreaming of. And I bet they'll be_ very_ sweet." She giggled into the darkness of our tent. I grimaced, then reached back and kicked her.

"Ouch!"

"Good night." I said sweetly.

Though it turned out, my dreams weren't sweet at all. Only a hell of a lot of chaos.

**So, ya'll, how'd you like it? For those of you who did, thank you soooo much and I love you like a crazy chicken in a room full of rocking chairs! And well, for those of you who didn't…that just sucks. But this is only the first chapter, and there is so much room for improvement! It will get better, I promise. Any hoo, please review! Constructive criticism is very welcome! Later, bitches (And ya'll know I'm just kidding)! **


	2. Chapter 2: Captured

**Hey guys, alas, it is I again! Thank you soooo much to everyone who read the first chapter and reviewed or added my story to their favorites/story alerts! I'm so thankful, truly T_T. And right now I'm just going to tell you that I haven't decided who I'll make Sakura end up with, and its gonna be up to you guys to choose. But I'm waiting till I get a few chapters in to start the contest, so don't vote for your favorite couple yet. I'll tell you when the voting starts, so don't worry! Well, here is the second chapter and I hope you like it! I'm trying hard to make this awesome! This is where the interesting crap starts to happen, hehe. Please, R&R!**

**2**

**Captured**

_Handsome S-class criminals…_

_ Niiiice!..._

_ Wait…What in the hell?_

_ Inner? Is that you?_

_I haven't heard from you in awhile…_

"…kura!"

_Or am I dreaming?_

_ Did someone say something?_

"…akura!"

_Akura? Who's that?_

"Sakura! Sakura!"

"Who's there? What happened?" alerts sounded in my head. I jumped out of my sleeping bag with a clumsy start, but crouched into my fighting stance. I pushed pink strands of hair out of my face, only to see a slightly irritated Tenten standing in front of me. I noticed she was fully dressed, her sleeping bag already rolled up. I relaxed my shoulders in the slightest way, yet still aware.

"What happened?" I asked again, though less frantic this time.

"Nothing. Breakfast's ready, and you were here sleeping like a freaking boulder." She explained, a small grin tugging at her lips as she shook her head at me. I frowned.

"Oh. _Breakfast._ I see now." I replied smartly, rubbing the crud out of the corner of my eyes. I'd had an exceedingly annoying dream last night. One of which including a few certain members of a certain group that Tenten and I had discussed in a certain conversation last night, and the certainty that I would absolutely never mention it to anyone. It frustrated me on a new level. I didn't have the time to be_ thinking_ about this stupid stuff, much less _dreaming_ about it. So why was I allowing myself to get so worked up? Wait, never mind. I didn't even want the answer to that question.

"Okay, well, come out when you're ready, Sak.'" Tenten's words brought me back to reality, thankfully. She left the small tent, letting the delicious aroma of warm breakfast waft in through the flaps. I inhaled deeply, wistfully longing for the taste of food.

I changed into my red jumper dress with haste, thinking about the long day that awaited me. This outfit was slightly different than my previous choices; it showed a little more skin around the cleavage and revealed a section of both my shoulders, and its length stopped just above the middle of my thigh. I slipped into my favorite knee-high boots, double checking that my weapon pouch was strapped securely to my thigh. Sweeping my long pink tresses into a high ponytail, I exited the small tent, nearly being knocked over by the smell of eggs and bacon in fried rice.

Everyone was already seated, either on the ground or on various large logs or rocks. Our group consisted of eight people: Naruto, Sai, Yamato-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Tenten, Neji, Lee, and me. I took my place between Tenten and Sai, too focused on my steaming bowl of food to listen to the conversation. If I say so myself, it was a beautiful morning. The skies were a clear blue, the birds were chirping, the food was great…

"So, Sakura. Have any _interesting _dreams last night?" Tenten asked me, seeming completely indifferent. I glared at her, munching silently. I picked up a piece of half eaten bacon and smacked her hand with it. She withdrew, looking insulted.

"Stingy."

"What _did_ you guys do last night?" Naruto asked, seeming purely curious. His bright blue cerulean eyes were so sharp and defined, as they always were in the early morning.

"Nothing." I answered, as casual as I could manage.

"Ah. I see." He said, totally unconvinced. A grin pulled at the corner of his mouth. I narrowed my eyes at him, but then felt an intense stare directed at me from the side. I turned to see Sai right in my face, eyes as wide as they would go. I twitched, slightly disturbed.

"Why, good morning to you too, Sai."

"Good morning. Why are you lying so obviously?" he asked blandly. I stared at him for a few moments, pondering whether I should smack him upside the head. As an adult, I chose the mature decision and hit him.

"Are you okay, Sakura? You seem to be in a rather…bad mood." Kakashi-sensei asked, searching for the right words.

"I'm fine. Just tired, that's all." I responded, suddenly losing my previous desire for food. I set my bowl down, and cracked my knuckles, suddenly feeling impatient to get this show on the road. "When are we leaving?"

"Soon." Yamato said. "Everybody pack up, we're leaving for the next check point in ten!"

That gave the signal that we were dismissed, and we all stood. About eight minutes later we all had our belongings gathered, ready to get moving. Tenten and I exchanged similar glances.

"Everyone ready?" Yamato-sensei called loudly. In response, there was a lot of nodding and some over enthusiastic battle cries. I smiled.

We jumped into the trees for means of faster travel, and began our process of leaping from branch to branch. I loved the feeling of the wind against my face, the sense that it almost seemed like you were flying. It was simply exhilarating. As we cut through the forest with a certain agility and speed, I couldn't help but realize a strange notion rising in my mind. I could sense it already, the feeling that something big was going to happen, for better or worse. Silently, I prayed that it wasn't more bad luck on my part. Of course, praying shouldn't work if it hadn't all the other times I'd tried, but something had to work eventually, right? Either way, I knew I was in for one hell of a ride.

Fortunately, that was just the way I liked it.

"So, do you need any help with anything else?" I asked Tenten after we had finished setting up our tent, wiping the perspiration off my forehead. I intended to tell her that I was heading out to the river to relax a little bit, to rinse off all my dirt and grime.

"Nah. And go ahead, you need it." She smiled, answering me before I could even tell her. I smiled back. She just knew me too well.

I grabbed my towel and my basket of bathing tools, searching for someone I could always depend on when it comes to finding a place to relax.

"Neji?"

"There's a river about half a mile directly south from here." He answered automatically, as if he'd already grown accustomed to me asking him. I grinned.

"Thanks." I patted him on the shoulder on my way out. Once I got a few feet away from the camp site, I hopped into the trees and started to make my way south through the thick forest. After a few minutes or so, I started to see glimpses of sparkling water through the patches of leaves and branches. As I came into the clearing, my breath caught in my throat. The water was a deep, glistening blue, surrounded by large boulders and bushes. The lively forest bordering both sides rose high, creating a calm, secure feeling. The sight of it already had my exhausted muscles feeling relaxed. How had I missed this on the way up?

I stretched out my tired legs as I walked up to the edge of the river and bent down to reach my hand into the rushing water, my woven basket in the crook of my arm. I narrowed my eyes.

I was not alone. In the trees, approximately fifteen feet away from where I was standing, there were two figures crouched in the shadows. Even as they had masked their chakras very well, I was able to sense that they were indeed powerful. While acting as if their presences had gone by unnoticed, I continued to pretend as if I was checking how cold the water was. Standing back up to my full height, I slid two shuriken out from under my woven basket with the hand that had already been underneath.

With lightning speed, I turned on my heel and launched the small Chinese stars at the two spots that I had gathered chakra from in one swift movement. I concentrated on hearing, disconcerted to hear the dull thunk of my shuriken cut into the rough bark of the trees. My opponents had dodged in time.

I leapt backwards onto a large boulder centered in the middle of the river, to put some distance between me and my enemies. As the current splashed off the rock and onto my legs, I zeroed in on the forest surrounding me, not letting my guard down for a moment.

"Reveal yourself!" I ordered in a harsh tone. The environment around me was completely silent for several moments, except for the sound of the rushing water. Then, my opponents revealed themselves, standing in the same spot I had previously attacked from.

My jade green eyes widened. Slowly, I took in their whole appearance. I cursed, an unwelcoming feeling stirring deep inside of me.

_Dark red clouds against a black background…_

"_Akatsuki_." I hissed, my fists clenching at my sides. I searched their appearances, trying to match their faces to their identities. _An orange mask with a swirly design…Blonde hair covering half the face…blue eyes…_I knew it couldn't be any other than the one called Tobi and the bomb specialist, Deidara.

"I have to say, you _almost_ fooled me there, yeah." The blonde guy said suddenly, sure to add emphasis on the word _almost_. As he saw my hostile expression, a smirk crossed his face.

"I wish I could say the same, but I honestly don't give a shit enough." I replied, my shoulders tense with the desire to kick ass. All the while I went through the facts that I had memorized about these particular two members, remembering their fighting styles, where I could find weak spots in their attacks. Until I came up with an accurate plan, I would have to hold still.

"Ooh, Sakura-chan doesn't like you, Deidara-senpai!" the guy in the orange mask, named Tobi, exclaimed in a ridiculously high and childish voice. My gaze darted over to him, slightly disconcerted by his usage of my name.

"How do you know my name?" I asked, venom laced through my voice. He seemed hardly intimidated, like I had intended. More like he was enlightened by the fact that I had actually spoke to him.

"Leader-sama told Tobi to come find you, Sakura-chan!" he lifted his hands in the air, acting as if this made perfect sense. I narrowed my eyes at him, pondering what he had meant. To come _find_ me? Surely not…

My eyes flicked back over to the blonde guy called Deidara, having detected a slight movement from him. I readied my fighting stance, slipping a kunai out of my weapon pouch. He took a step forward without hesitation, only an amused look on his face. Unfortunately, it just pissed me off all the more.

"Now we're not here to fight, honestly. We're just following orders, yeah." He spoke, his hands in the air, like he wasn't the least bit concerned that I could do him any physical harm. I snapped, and threw my kunai at his face. He sidestepped it swiftly, though I had managed to draw a small cut across his cheek. He wiped the drop of blood off with the back of his hand, raising an eyebrow at me.

"What do you want?" I said, my voice guarded and sharp.

"It's just as he said, yeah. We've been ordered to capture you." he answered casually, just as the other guy in the orange mask nodded enthusiastically. A cold, chilling feeling slid down my spine. _What in the hell_? I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"_Like hell you are_!" I spat.

My impulsive side took over, and I darted over to their side with lightning speed, appearing in front of the bomb specialist. He seemed surprised for a split second. He recovered quickly with a grin, blocking my flying sideways kick. I landed on the ground, expertly sweeping my leg in a circular motion, trying to knock him off his feet. He dodged, and I rolled backwards onto my feet, coming back into my fighting stance. I cracked my knuckles, deciding it was about time for me to get really serious.

"Tobi wants to fight Sakura-chan too!" Tobi shouted, drawing my attention away from his blonde partner. I grimaced. As he charged at me, I gathered my chakra into my right arm and tried to land a blow to his head. He ducked in just the nick of time, swinging his leg around to kick me in the stomach. I jumped off of his outstretched leg, landing a few feet away from him, eyes scanning my surroundings for his partner. Swearing, I backed a couple more steps away from Tobi, already feeling the exhaustion of the past few days sinking in. My chakra had already been weaker than usual after numerous days of training and traveling, but it was slowly wearing down, as well as my luck. Had they caught me at a different time when I wasn't so worn out, I probably would have already been able to land a serious blow on at least one of them. I grunted, taking one more step back.

I immediately ran into something soft and tall. My eyes widened in shock as I realized what it was without even having to turn around. _Shit._ I lunged away with the energy I had left, but I knew it was already too late. I cursed as I felt a strong arm wrap around my front and pull me back to the spot, holding me in place.

_ Shit, shit, shit!_ Had I really been so exhausted that I couldn't realize that bastard was standing right behind me? I struggled endlessly, though my muscles were already tired and heavy. It was as if my body was just suddenly shutting down. _Crap. No, no, no…_

"Damn, she won't give up. Tobi, do still got that stuff? We're probably gonna have to use it, yeah." Deidara said, sounding slightly hassled. At the words, my eyes widened. What _stuff?_ I tried to elbow him in the gut with frustration, but he only held me in place tighter. I bit my lip so I wouldn't scream like the pathetic person I felt like, turning my head slightly to catch a glimpse of my enemies face. _Deep blue eyes…Blonde hair…a mischievous smirk…_

_Handsome…just like had Tenten said. _

God,I'm such a dumbass.

"Bye bye, Sakura-chan!" Tobi enthused, sounding just absolutely overjoyed. I felt his hand ruffle my hair, as if I was some pet of his.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp prick on the side of my neck. A calm feeling spread through my body. I gritted my teeth, trying to fight the wave of drowsiness that rolled over me. But it wasn't before long that I faded into the darkness, just like everything else. As my mind finally began to shut down, the last words I heard were ones that I definitely was not proud of.

_"Congratulations, pink. You're one of us now."_

**Okay, everyone, tell me whether you liked it or not! I tried hard, for all of your guy's sake! Like I said, I'll tell you when I'm going to start the voting, so keep an eye out for when I do! Please review, everyone! Xoxo**


	3. Chapter 3: Trapped

** Hello again, my friends! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed; I love you and it's honestly what keeps me going. Well, here's the third chapter and its actually pretty long I think! I had a hard time with it because I didn't know how I should go about it…Let me warn you, there are slightly disgusting and gruesome parts. Anyways, it's here now and I hope you guys enjoy it XD!**

**3**

**Trapped**

"Hey, Deidara-senpai!" Tobi shouted for the third time, sounding simply ecstatic. Deidara ignored him, an irritated look crossing his face as they sat upon his clay bird, the cold air whipping across their faces. They had started to head back to the main headquarters immediately after they had managed to capture the girl, under strict orders from Leader-sama. It would be about fifteen minutes, more or less, from where they crossed over the thick forest of vibrant shades of green. That is, if Deidara could refrain himself from ripping his ignorant partner's head off.

"SENPAI, SENPAI, SENPAI, SEN-"

"_WHAT? _You little shit!" He snapped at Tobi, utterly frustrated with the fact that his partner had the need to scream his name endlessly whenever he needed an answer to a question.

"Why do you think Leader-sama needs Sakura-chan?" Tobi asked, seemingly unaffected by Deidara's pissed-off demeanor. He looked down at the beautiful sleeping girl stretched unconsciously across his lap, swirling strands of her pink hair around his finger, his short span of interest easily captured.

"I dunno. I guess she's going to be a new member or something, yeah." Deidara grunted. He too, wondered what the sole purpose of obtaining this girl was. If she was going to be forced to join the organization, she had to have some special power of some sort. In that short battle they had engaged in, he hadn't witnessed anything truly spectacular from her, rather than the fact that she sensed their chakras when they had been fully concealed.

"Really? That makes Tobi very happy! Tobi likes Sakura-chan!" his masked partner exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air as some form of celebration. Deidara stared straight ahead, an annoyed look set on his face as the wind swept his hair out behind him.

"Shut up, then." He replied, already knowing it was too good to be true. At his words, Tobi looked up from playing with Sakura's hair.

"But doesn't Senpai like Sakura-chan, too? Sakura-chan is very pretty!" Tobi asked, staring concernedly at his partner, as if he was somehow questioning his sexual orientation. At this, the blonde angrily turned to give a death glare to his masked teammate. Seemingly, his silent message did not reach him.

Deidara took a short second to look over the sleeping pinkette's features, finding himself staring several moments too long. Indeed, she was very beautiful, more so than the majority of the women he'd met in his life. Referring back to when she'd been awake and swearing at him like a sailor, it seemed she also had an exceedingly great figure, as well. Though as deceiving as her appearance was, some colorful language tended to flow out of that pretty little mouth of hers. Other than that, she seemed to be completely uninterested with him and frustrated with his very existence. Not many women could act like that around him. She was an intriguing character, to say the least.

"Yeah, I suppose." Deidara answered after a few silent moments. Tobi collapsed back into his previous shouts of happiness, no doubt excited to introduce his Sakura-chan to everyone.

At the thought, a small smirk graced Deidara's lips. Strong or not, this girl really had no idea what she was getting herself into. He closed his deep blue eyes against the cold bite of wind, an unexplainable inkling rising in his mind.

Things were going to get interesting around here.

_"Congratulations, pink. You're one of us now."_

I buried my face in my warm pillow, wanting the annoying voice to leave me and my sleep undisturbed for the last time. I didn't know why those same words kept on repeating themselves inside of my head, echoing and replaying like a horrible broken record player. They seemed familiar, like I had heard them once before.

Not that I really gave it much thought. I just wanted to continue my deprived slumber without being bothered every five seconds. I snuggled my nose deeper into the soft fabric, hoping to be left alone. Sleepily, I inhaled the scent of my favorite pillow. And came back with nothing.

Why was that? I furrowed my eyebrows, my face still shoved into the pillow. How unusual. I should be able to smell the soothing fragrance of my favorite shampoo. I should be able to smell cherry blossoms.

_Why…?_

"_Congratulations, pink. You're one of us now."_ the words echoed again inside of my mind, gentle, nudging. Goose bumps rose all over my skin.

My eyes flew open, instantly scanning all of my surroundings. _Plain white walls…Dark wooden furniture…Light pink bed sheets… _

This was not my room.

"Shit." Everything flooded back to me all at once, almost strong and overbearing enough to knock me down. A startled gasp escaped through my lips, the mere sound of it earsplitting in contrast to the eerie silence. I flung myself out of the suddenly unfamiliar bed; my bare feet met with shockingly cold tile. I looked down, as my emerald eyes meet with the almost dizzying pattern of black and white checkered diamonds. The sight of it almost made me ill.

"Shit. _Shit!_" I cursed openly, my mood only becoming worse after each swear. I brought my hands to either side of my head to push against my temples, desperately trying to rid my mind of its frenzied state. I squeezed my eyes together, telling myself to be calm and rational.

"Don't freak out, Sakura…Don't freak out…_Think." _I whispered to myself, repeating the mantra over and over again as some form of burning steam. After several moments, I removed my hands from my head. I gave a deep, forced breath. _Think about what to do when in a situation like this…_

_Confirm your location._ I grimaced, running a hand through my long hair. I didn't have the slightest clue. But assuming my previous situation, it was probably safe to say that my captors were those same two members of the Akatsuki that I had last seen before I'd lost my consciousness. Then maybe…_just maybe_ it was possible that I had been taken and confined in one of their hidden bases. In any case, that would be extremely bad. I pinched the bridge of my nose, calming the storm of emotions that threatened to take over again.

_Sense any surrounding presences. _I closed my eyes once again, focusing on the steady flow of chakra emanating from behind the walls of this oddly welcoming confinement cell. _Two…five…nine…_Clearly, it seemed as if I was not alone. I'd sensed nine incredibly intimidating presences, each of them radiating power and strength. It was clear that they would not be easy opponents. On the contrary, it also appeared that they were not very close to my current location. I took that a minimal amount of relief at that.

_Check for your weapons. _At the horrifying thought of being unarmed, I dug my hand into my weapon pouch, only to come back with nothing but even more frustration. An idea lit up in my head. I bent over slightly, reaching under the sole of my shoe. I always kept at least one weapon in the hidden compartment under the sole of my shoe.

"Ha!" I smirked, feeling the sharp tip of my favorite dagger poke my index finger. I put my leg back down, feeling slightly more motivated. But then I remembered my current situation.

I scanned my environment once again, sure not to miss any important details of this strange prison. I paced around the room, eyes sliding across the walls for a window. Of course not. I wasn't that lucky.

I sighed, and then began to search the corners and walls of the room, thoroughly keeping an eye out for even the slightest crack or flaw. I pulled away finally, sorely disappointed. I began my recently-adopted habit again and started to pace around in circles restlessly. Suddenly, another one of my brilliant ideas rose in my mind.

I stopped my fretting at once, coming to a treacherous stop in front of the bedroom door. I stared at it for a few moments, contemplating whether I was stupid enough to try and open it. I bit my lip, weighing my options. What if the doorknob was infused with some kind of electrifying jutsu that drains your chakra? I'd started to hear rumors about such things floating around just recently. But still…It wasn't like I had anything to lose, not in this situation. Well, besides my life. But at least I was going to try my best not to lose that, if not my pride as well.

I came in front of the door, eyes glued to the all too innocent looking doorknob. With a deep breath, I wrapped my hand around it and slowly twisted it until I heard an audible click. Nothing. Still cautious as ever, I cracked the door open slightly, just enough to peek into the long corridor outside. I scanned my surroundings. And yet found still nothing.

The silence was absolutely deafening. My heart thumping, I slinked out quietly, and shut the door behind me. I masked my chakra at once, immediately shooting down the darkly lit hallway, black and white diamonds flying past my vision as I went. I needed to get out of this place as soon as possible. Any longer, and I feared I might simply lose it.

As if on cue, my right foot sank into the ground, along with my heart. I looked down for a split second to see that I had stepped on a black square tile, because in the very next, everything came so quickly I could hardly keep up. Amazingly, I heard it before I even saw it coming. Without further thought, I immediately plastered myself to the cold tiled floor, just in time to see twenty different kunai and shuriken shoot out from the walls on either side of me with blind speed. They cut into both walls deeply, leaving their own marks.

Instead of feeling threatened, a burst of adrenaline shot through my body. A smirk crossed my face as I pulled myself back up to my feet, brushing my body off. Part of me didn't understand why I wasn't more scared. The other part of me was only slightly amused, and decided to ignore the other, as unwise as it may be. It'd been a long time since I'd been given such a challenge. I might as well give an equal challenge back, right? I knew I had to escape this place somehow, and something at the back of my mind told me it wouldn't happen without determination.

My breathing came shallow and hard as I sprinted down the mysterious corridor, my feet pounding roughly against the ground. It seemed as if this whole building was a carefully designed maze, a trap around every corner and in every dark shadow. I wondered if it would ever end. I'd already resisted for a long period of time now, and despite my own determination I couldn't help but admit that I didn't know how much more my body could take.

As of now, I was in bad shape. My legs were covered in sore bruises, and after every step it only seemed as if I was getting nowhere. My arms were perhaps the worst of it all. The whole length of my right arm was covered in partially deep cuts, some minor, and I'd even pulled a muscle in my left arm. I'd already endured several different scenarios set up by the enemy, each one more physically challenging and frightening than the last.

Now, I came to a fated dead end where three simple black doors stood, each of them staring back at me in an annoyingly mocking way. I glared back at it, secretly wondering when I'd adopted the ability to become so angry at inanimate objects. Wiping my sweaty palms on my thighs, I turned to look behind me longingly. The hallway stretched far into the unwelcoming shadows. I turned back, calculating each of the doors. Not that it mattered, because they all looked the fucking same.

Whichever one I chose, I already knew that there were probably equally unappealing situations behind each door. I'd really rather not choose any of them, but hell, I'd also rather be on my way with my team, who were probably wondering what in God's name happened to me. And we all saw how that worked out, right? Either way, it was clear. I did not have a choice.

"God, this is so _clichéd._" I muttered under my breath, decidedly choosing the door on the left in a what-the-hell manner. I swung the door open, noticing the horrible creaking noise it brought. Was that supposed to make me nervous?

Inside, it was a complete black abyss. I stood in the doorway, contemplating whether I should just deal with it and go in or retreat and pick another path. But alas, I was spared the decision as the door slid closed by its own before I could realize. So there I stood, completely engulfed in the black sea.

"Well, shit." I commented. Deciding I didn't have many options, I began to walk forward blindly, using all of my senses except sight. Maybe if I walked far enough, I would eventually come to an end. This place had to end somewhere, right?

An odd sound reached my ears, coming mysteriously from behind me. I whipped around and squinted into the darkness, trying to make out a form of some sort, but my attempts were futile. I couldn't see a thing. But then what was I supposed to do? I wouldn't be able to attack whatever made that strange sound, because I'd been robbed of one of my most important senses. Not only was I blind, but it didn't even matter if I could hear because there was suddenly nothing to listen to. I dug my fingernails into my thigh, suppressing a frustrated scream.

The atmosphere plunged back into the dreaded silence. Maybe it was possible that I hadn't heard anything at all. It would make sense if I'd hallucinated, because of all the stress that had been forced onto me lately.

I cracked my knuckles, still somewhat wary, but nonetheless I turned around and began to walk again. This continued for about a minute, until I ran abruptly into a hard, flat surface. Disoriented, I immediately backed up, even though I assumed it must simply be a wall.

Suddenly, the endless dark room was flooded with almost blinding bright light. My jade green eyes burned at the sudden change in environment. I turned slightly and checked out my surroundings, only to see a large, plain white room stretched out before me. I decided it was wise to avoid looking up into the painfully bright fluorescent lights, and turned back to see what I had run into by mistake.

I was met face to face with the startling appearance of a girl with eyes very much like my own. I immediately jumped back five feet, a gasp slipping past my lips. Then, I took a closer look at the girl. I breathed out in relief when I saw it was a mere reflection of me.

"A mirror…" I whispered, staring back at myself strangely. Why was there a goddamn mirror in here? Did this serve any purpose? I didn't know why, but I found my reflection to be rather creepy. What was I supposed to do now?

I was ready to turn back and find another route, but then I noticed something even stranger about the girl in the mirror. She was smiling at me. Not in a kind, simple way, but more in a sickeningly disturbing manner. A cold sensation slid down the length of my spine. She tilted her head at me, as I stared back, motionless and in shock. I lifted my hand, willing her to follow my movements. She didn't.

"What in the hell…?" I said lightly, feeling uncharacteristically fearful when I saw that her lips did not move along with mine. Before I knew how to react, she began to step closer to me, a hand pushing against the shield between us. My heart sank pitifully as I watched her step one familiar leg out, her familiar arms braced outside on either side of the mirror to help pull herself out.

A scream rose in my throat as she finally forced her full body out, raising her head to look up at me, a sinister grin stretched across her face. Her teeth were rotten and disturbing. One small stream of deep crimson rolled down from the corner of her mouth, dripping past her chin. At this point, I realized I should be running like hell by now.

She began to limp towards me, her body starting to look oddly distorted and twisted. Needless to say, I ran like one totally wack kinkajou on steroids.

The soles of my feet pounded harshly on the ground, my heart thumping illogically fast. I didn't know why I was reacting like this. I had never, ever remembered being so _scared_. It wasn't often that I felt true fear, but now was one of those rare times. I kept telling myself that no matter how frightening and disturbing she looked, she couldn't hurt _me_ because she was_ me_. But I just didn't know.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that the twisted version of me had pulled out a butcher knife. A long, sharp, very-capable-of-killing-me knife. She grasped it high in the air, blood dripping gruesomely from her rotting mouth. Oh _hell _naw, that was _not _me. Fear churned inside of me once again, but I stubbornly pushed it back.

_What am I supposed to do?_

_**Kick the bitch's ugly ass!**_

_Inner? Damn. Haven't heard from you in awhile…_

_**Yeah, I missed you too. Like I said, kick her ugly ass!**_

_You realize that's us, right?_

_**If that's us, then I'm fucking Denzel Washington.**_

_Who in the hell is that?_

_**Sweet mother of the baby Jesus, just kill the bitch.**_

Mustering up every shred of bravado I had left, I abruptly stopped and turned to face my clone. She, too, stopped limping towards me. I pulled my favorite dagger out from under my boot, grasping the handle tightly as I forced my hands to stop trembling. At the sight of my weapon, she bent her head at an awkward angle until I heard a horrible, chilling _snap. _The hair rose on the back of my neck. Her already creepy enough smile became even creepier as the skin around the corners of her mouth split all the way to her ears, her jaw now hanging unnaturally.

"Done?" I asked, even surprising myself at how brave and badass I sounded. Of course, I got no legitimate response from the other party. My clone lunged at me, her butcher knife raised.

I blocked her knife with my own dagger, bringing my other hand around to chop her in the neck. She fell to the ground with a hiss, swinging her own fist around to punch me in the back of the knees. My legs buckled for a split second, and she tried to take advantage by pushing me to the ground and rolling on top of me. I quickly regained my balance, gathering my chakra into my right fist and punched her in the gut. She gagged, a few specks of blood splattering onto my face. I grimaced in disgust, and she managed to slash her gruesome butcher knife across the length of my shoulders.

"Shit." I cursed, jumping a few feet away from her, my hand clutched against my new wound. I've had worse, but it still hurt like hell. As much as I hated to admit it, some part of her was still _me, _meaning that she knew all of my attacks and moves. I didn't want to drag this fight out longer than I had to, but how could I kill her if she knew what I was going to do every time? My clone wobbled over to me again, her expression crazed with bloodlust. _This was not me ._Then, at that moment; I decided what I would do. It was very simple, but I hoped she wouldn't realize.

I let her come to me, readied in my position. We engaged once again, but I blocked most of her attacks, seeing as they were mine also. She let out an odd, frightening, bird like growl of frustration. She flung herself at me hungrily, finally stabbing me through with her butcher knife. The stinging pain spread through my body as she held me there, with her knife plunged into my chest. It was complete silence.

_Poof._

My injured body disappeared in a sudden cloud of white, leaving my clone there, standing with her arm out in the open air. She screamed that disturbing bird like scream again, swinging her body this way and that, searching for me with more bloodlust than ever before. She really was not too smart.

I appeared behind her with sudden speed, unable to keep the satisfaction off of my face. I took my favorite dagger and slashed it through the air, closing my eyes against the blood that spattered across my face. I didn't ruin the moment by saying anything ridiculously dramatic, either, like "_Maybe we'll meet in another lifetime, and we can be friends." _Or "_Trust me, this hurts me more than it does you." _Nah, that would be totally meaningless and cheesy. Instead, I chose something with a little more class.

"It's not even the right shade of pink." I said smoothly, wiping the blood off my face with the back of my hand. In a way though, I did feel slightly guilty for killing my clone, because after all, she was _me. _It wasn't long before my alter ego insulted me and my style.

_**Was there really a need for that last line?**_

_Of course. Look at it, the color's totally off._

_**You are one **__**crazy**__** bitch.**_

_So are you._

…_**Touché.**_

I turned away from the girl's disfigured body, not wanting to feel the uncomfortable weight of the guilt anymore. I looked at the room and sighed, closing my tired eyes.

A weird shifting feeling overcame me. I immediately opened my eyes, hyper aware once again. I found myself in a completely different environment, though it held much more grandeur than all of the previous.

Here the black and white tile continued, the walls a deep red, stretching all the way to the very back of the room, where nine figures stood. A gasp escaped my lips. They consisted of numerous shockingly handsome, dangerous men. And they were all staring at me. All of them.

"Congratulations, Sakura Haruno. You've passed the initiation test."

F************************************************************************.

**Did you guys like it? Sweet mother of the baby Jesus, I hope you did. Like I said, I had a really hard time writing this because I wanted to make it more realistic than some of the typical Sakura-gets-captured-by-the-Akatsuki stories on Fanfiction (no offense, I still loved all of them!). Because there would be some sort of test for her to pass, don't ya think? Anyways, I just wanted to break the story in before I got into the real romance. Next chapter is where that all starts, bwahahahahah! So stay tuned everyone! And PLEASE review! xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4: Oh, shit

**Hello, my lovely's! I'm really sorry that it's been a while since I updated and that I promised it would be up soon T_T. I've been really caught up since school started for me, but the chapter is finally here! I want to give everyone a big ass thank you for reviewing, and even just reading this story, so here it is: THANK YOU! Like I promised, this is finally where the story will start to get awesome for all you romance junkies! I really hope that you guys enjoy this ^_^! ~**

**4**

**Oh, shit.**

I didn't respond. Honestly, my only thoughts were:

_I'm blue_

_ Da ba dee_

_ Da ba die_

_ Da ba dee_

_ Da ba die-_

Actually, those weren't my real thoughts. Those were thoughts my inner put inside of my head. Now, here's what I was really thinking:

_SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT_

_ FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK- _and so on.

"You've completed a series of carefully designed scenarios set up by us, therefore you have gained acknowledgement that you are acceptable to join the Akatsuki." The monotone voice came from a figure halfway concealed in the shadows. I snapped out of my trance, focusing on the reality of my situation. I strained my eyes to catch a glimpse of the suspicious male, my hands balled into hard fists.

Finally, he stepped into the light, where I caught a full view of his face. It took all of my self control to refrain from gasping at his rather…bold appearance. There were numerous silver piercings scaling his whole face, three on each side on the bridge of his nose, two on his bottom lip, and too many to count on both of his ears. Despite seeing his face in the Bingo books many times, it seemed even more astounding to see it in real life. I'd memorized his name a long, long time ago. He was the leader of the Akatsuki, Pein_._

I brought my gaze back up to meet his emotionless eyes, which were just as hypnotizing. His pupils were outlined by many circles almost as if they were two targets, but they seemed to stare down at me as if I were the target. I tensed, quickly scanning all of the faces across the room. Goddammit, why were they all so gorgeous?

"What is your answer, Sakura Haruno?" he asked, though it sounded more like an order. By the way he simply spoke, I could already sense this guy had one hell of an ego.

"No." I stated calmly, meeting his gaze with an equally emotionless expression. Fire seemed to light behind his eyes, and I noticed the corner of his mouth bend slightly downwards. I guess that was about as much emotion you'd ever see in a guy with a stick shoved that far up his ass.

"Is that your final choice?" he responded with an air of calm. I knew he was pissed, though. And now, if something else didn't happen, then I was pretty sure he was going to kill me.

"Yup." I said, cursing myself for my stupidity. What in the _hell_ was I doing? Why wasn't I taking more caution? This guy was going to _kill_ me, for God's sake. But even so…It wasn't like I was going to turn my back on Konoha so easily. That was my home village, the place I grew up in with my family and friends. To join forces with the enemy just so I could save my sorry ass – that was not the way of a true shinobi. To do something of that level…It was just too shameful. I would rather die than betray Konoha.

"Not even for your blonde friend, the Kyuubi container?"

My head shot up at his words. I met his empty eyes with a glare of contempt, anger beginning to boil behind my own. They were going to threaten me?

"What about him?" I hissed, my knuckles going white at my sides. Why couldn't he just follow typical bad guy routine and kill me already? It's not like I wanted to die, but it would be easier. For everyone.

"The information wouldn't be useful to you, seeing as you refuse to take membership of this organization." Pein said, a flicker of amusement in his ringed gaze. Boy, that asshole must have felt real clever. I gritted my teeth.

"If you lay one goddamned _finger_ on him or anyone else, I will rip your _fucking _head off." I growled, but he was not fazed in the least bit. Why did everyone seem to underestimate me? Was it something about the pink hair?

_**Either that, or…Nah, never mind. It's definitely the pink hair.**_

___Oh, just shut up. No one asked you._

_**Actually, you kind of DID.**_

___SHUT. UP._

"What do you want from me?" I asked, unable to keep the words from tumbling out. I couldn't help but question why they wanted me to join so much. They had heard me refuse the request outright, so why hadn't they even attempted to kill me yet? I mean…why did they have to make _my_ life miserable instead of grabbing some other girl who actually wanted to put up with these assholes?

"That question I have already answered. I need you to join the Akatsuki, Sakura Haruno."

"Why?" I interrogated further, taking a small step forward. Their eyes zeroed in on me, calculating my every movement. I felt watched, suffocated, examined – but I needed to understand why this was happening to me.

"You have qualities that will assist greatly to our organization. Furthermore, it is necessary to have a figure with such amazing ability on our side." He said, his solemn eyes never leaving my own.

"What do you mean?" all these questions seemed to keep flooding out of my mouth, without me being able to suppress them. I was in no position to interrogate or threaten them at the moment, being so obviously outnumbered. Frankly, I secretly knew that it would have been wisest of me to be thinking of a way to escape, but curiosity seemed to be the only thing occupying my mind.

"You have much…unlocked potential to be dealt with." He seemed to struggle for the right words.

"Are you going to hurt them?" I said quietly, speaking low in an effort to hide all the rage churning inside of me. He tilted his head ever so slightly, knowing I was talking about my loved ones.

"That depends. I will ask once more, would you accept my request of joining the Akatsuki?"

I contemplated it for a moment, at a loss for words. If I didn't join, they would most likely kill me on the spot right here, and I knew that I surely could not take all of them at once. They could also injure my friends. But, _if_ I did, I would be betraying Konoha and all of my loved ones. I would be charged with treason, and be labeled as a missing nin. I would never be able to walk in my village peacefully ever again. I didn't want that. But I didn't want to put my friends in danger, either, even though he never stated that he would hurt them if I refused. What was I supposed to do? If only there was a way I could not betray Konoha, and keep my friends safe at the same time…I would just have to try.

"…No." the words left my lips lightly, leaving me feeling cold inside. Goose bumps rose all over my skin at the sudden change of atmosphere that now seemed to dominate the room. I truly hoped I wasn't making the wrong decision here.

"I see. Then I'm afraid I'll have to take you by force." A small smirk stretched across his face. My eyes widened at his words, but it was far too late by the time I sensed the presence behind me. Oh, shit.

_Not __again__._

In a matter of seconds, I felt yet another pair of strong, capable arms slide across my midriff for the second time. My head darted around, expecting to see those same stunning blue eyes and that same infuriating smirk. Instead, I was met with a different smooth, handsome face, devoid of all emotions. My eyes traveled up to meet his own hypnotizing pair, pulling back quickly as if I'd been slapped across the face. _Red…Deep red…The color of blood._

"_Sasuke…?"_

The darkness enveloped me.

x0o0x

"Mmmm…" I mumbled unintelligently, my hands clamped around the bed sheets. _So warm_…

"Mmmm…"

I nodded subconsciously to the copied response. In a matter of seconds, though, my eyes flew open with lightning speed.

And then I screamed my ass off.

"_WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"_ I shrieked, falling backwards on my butt off of the mattress that I had been laying on, probably with the dumbest expression to ever grace my facial features. There, in front of me, was a full grown man wearing a swirly orange mask, kneeling on the said mattress. And even more disturbing, he was screaming like a total fucking retard, arms thrown in the air.

"Why are you screaming, you dumbass?" I shouted over his exaggerated "female" scream, chucking a pillow straight at his head, causing him to also fall off the opposite side of the bed. And so he went down, wailing all the way, putting any woman's terrified scream to absolute shame.

I had my back pressed against the wall, warily watching the exact spot he fallen down. In a matter of split seconds, he popped back up with way too much enthusiasm.

"I dunno. I was screaming because Sakura-chan was screaming!" he reasoned, sounding at the supreme of ultimate calmness and happiness.

I stared at him, at a complete loss for words. Who knew such absolute idiots existed in this day and time? Speechless, I brought my right hand up to pinch the bridge of my nose. What the hell was I supposed to do now?

I rose from my spot where I had fallen oh-so-ungracefully, trying to put my usual hard-as-steel expression on my face. My gaze flickered around the room. From what I gathered, it seemed I was still located in the same base, judging by the distracting pattern of black and white diamonds dotting the floor. Yet I was not in the same room I'd first woken up in.

"Where am I?" I asked the masked guy, who I remembered to be named Tobi.

"You're in Tobi's bedroom, Sakura-chan!" he exclaimed, not seeming to hold the air of an S-class criminal in the least bit. To be honest, he kind of creeped me out.

"But where am I, besides that?" I said, distancing myself as far away from him as I could, as he jumped back on his bed to get closer to me.

"You're in our main base!" he boasted proudly, in a way that a child would boast about his favorite toy. I raised an eyebrow at him. He seemed rather quick to answer any question, didn't he? That sure could come in handy for a girl like me…

Immediately, I brought a huge, warm, but probably alarming smile up to my lips. I beamed at Tobi, and – god bless him- he beamed back. He sat there on the edge of his bed, looking about ready to pounce any minute.

"Say, Tobi? Could you help me with something? It's reaalllllly important." I clasped my hands together in front of me, pleading in my very convincing tone that I only unleash in dire situations. He perked.

"Of course, Sakura-chan! What do you need my help with?" he asked, sounding so innocent and childish that I almost felt guilty for taking advantage of him. Almost.

"Well, you see, I've been _really_ sad lately. I was wondering if you could help me get out of here so I can go back home. This would really help me out…_You're_ the only one that can help me, and I would really appreciate it...So, what do you say, Tobi?" I put a distressed expression on my face, clutching my hands to my chest as if my heart was hurting. I met his gaze dramatically, sure to make my long hair swing behind me when I turned to look at him. The last part wasn't really needed; I just wanted to add some theatrical affect.

A few seconds passed, as he stared at me. I gazed back, a glimmer of hope in my bright green eyes. I swear, I might have to make them start glistening with tears if he didn't respond soon. I wondered what was going on in that total creeper head of his. It could be anything ranging from psychotic to slightly less psychotic. I didn't expect him to take this long to answer…

All of a sudden, he slid off the bed so he was standing in front of me, a full head taller. I lifted my head to continue staring him down. I then realized that he was _finally_ going to say something.

_Ah, thank god. I can finally find some way out of this hellhole…_

"Nahhh, I don't think so." He said lazily.

"Thank you s-_What?_" I interjected, my eyes going as wide as saucers. My smile fell _splat_ to the ground. Was it just me, or did his voice suddenly get a _lot_ deeper? _No way_…_I must have been imagining things._

"Don't be so surprised, _Sakura_-_chan_. What do you think I am, an idiot?" Tobi chuckled, pulling out the syllables of my name, playing with it. My mouth hung open wide.

_Okay, maybe I wasn't imagining things. _He took swift steps towards me, holding a certain predatory air about him that had not been there before. Not given many other choices, I backed up as far as I could against the wall. _What exactly was going on here?_

"You…What…?" I sputtered, not even knowing what I was saying, and I bet he probably didn't either. He hadn't been like this before, when he'd seemed like an innocent, rambunctious child. Totally different from right now. This, now…seemed like a _man_. I'd had a feeling he was a little screwed, but I wasn't expecting something like this. How could he change personalities so quickly, so randomly? Honestly, what in the _world_ was going on?

"Did you honestly think I would help you, _the enemy_, escape? You should give me more credit, Sakura-chan." He finally cornered me against the wall, his arms acting as a cage, placed on either side of me. I was given no choice but to stare at the strange, orange mask that met my gaze. I wondered what was truly behind that mask. I knew I should have been focusing on my situation, but…I felt so shocked it almost felt like I'd been slapped.

_**And not just slapped, more like BITCH SLAPPED.**_

___…Oh, shit._

_**Yeah, I'd say.**_

I pushed my inner into the back of my mind where she couldn't bother me, since I didn't exactly feel my smart ass mind gears working. The surface pressed against my back felt alarmingly cold, compared to how warm my face was suddenly becoming. What was I supposed to do now? Who in the world is this crazy guy? _Why the hell was it so hot in here?_

_**Jesus Christ, Sakura. Get a grip on yourself! Have you forgotten who you are?**_

__I didn't respond to my inner, who had suspiciously reappeared at the worst time, like usual. I didn't know why, but…Tobi smelled _really _good. Like, just really musky and manly and _sexy._ _I'm not even listening to what he's saying…I really shouldn't be thinking this…_

_** Damn straight you shouldn't! And do not even THINK about giving in to your feminine senses! He's evil! He's bad! He's "uncharted territory"! THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN, BITCH!**_

__At the completely unrelated words, I immediately snapped out of my daze and refocused on the situation. Unless my eyes were deceiving me, I was still pinned against the wall by a very suspicious man. And unless I was completely retarded, I obviously needed to do something about that.

I wondered why I had not taken action sooner. I was the Hokage's apprentice, was I not? How could I have let some psycho take advantage of me without even a decent fight? _Fortunately, I can save these thoughts for later…_I cracked my knuckles, suddenly starting to feel very pissed off the more I thought about it.

"Get the fuck off me." I hissed, starting to feel that familiar fire-like feeling inside of my chest.

He pulled a little back, momentarily surprised. I only wished I could've seen his expression. Perhaps he had some kind of bizarre thought that I would give in to him and all his holier-than-thou attitude. What an idiot.

Said idiot leaned back in, and I somehow got the totally creepy notion that he was smirking behind that infamous mask of his. He tilted his head.

"Nahhh."

_Okay, that was it._ I punched him square in the face, perfect angle and power. Well, maybe I put a _little_ too much power in, but that's okay. And somehow I got the feeling that he let me punch him on purpose, but that's okay, too. For now, at least. Currently, seeing him sprawled on the ground with his mask smashed in was enough to last me a couple hours before I'd want to beat him up again.

"_Damn,_ I didn't think you'd hit me that hard!" he yelled, his hand clutching his jaw. _Yeah, that better have hurt, bitch._

"That's why you shouldn't _think _things about me. Most people learn that a lot later than you did, so do consider yourself blessed." I mused, unable to keep a huge grin off my face. Sometimes, you just needed to give an asshole a good punch. It can actually make you feel better. And I bet I looked like a psychopath, but we all have a few screws loose, don't we? Besides, at least I wasn't actually one.

Although before I got too carried away in my accomplishments, I calmed myself down so I could focus. I sighed heavily, and then raised my head. I needed to proceed with my plan; because I had a feeling this might be my last chance in a long time. _I needed to get the hell out of here for once and for all._

Quickly, I rushed to the door of the room, making sure that I wasn't close enough to Tobi so that he could grab my ankles and pull me down to the ground. That'd be not only awkward, but very creepy. I mentally prepared myself for whatever could be waiting outside.

The door swung open so fast it almost smacked me upside the head and into the next Chinese New Year. Fortunately, though, I jumped back in time. And no, children, it was not magic. It was yet another psycho that a girl like me just seemed prone into coming across. A psycho that I certainly did _not_ by any circumstance, want to see right now.

_Oh, shit._

"Itachi-senpai! What brings you to Tobi's room?" a familiar, childish voice came from behind me, still on the ground. Despite the tiny fear that had erupted inside me, I could not help but feel incredibly annoyed. My hands itched to harm once again. That bastard was still going to pull that innocent act?

"I heard a lot of noise coming from here." The Uchiha stated blandly, also seeming slightly irritated himself, as he looked at Tobi, who was still sprawled on the ground, clutching his face. He flicked his gaze towards me. I tensed, even though his Sharingan was not activated. Instead, I was met with the eerily familiar emptiness of his fathomless, black eyes. It was not as if they were much better.

Despite how badly I yearned to rip my eyes away from his, I could not. Or rather, I would not allow myself to. I met his gaze evenly, shocked to feel a slight pain inside of me. Mental or physical, I could not tell, I just knew that it hurt. Whatever victorious feeling I had held earlier was completely gone now. Just…nostalgia.

"You." Uchiha said, seeming to recognize my face. He studied me thoroughly, making me feel undeniably uncomfortable. How was I supposed to respond to that?

"Yes?" I answered, my tone clipped and stiff.

"Come with me." He spoke with no menace, no force. The way the words left his lips, it almost seemed like a gentle request. Abruptly, he turned without looking to see if I would follow in pursuit. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"No..." I trailed off, becoming very confused with myself. My response did not sound as sure and unwavering as I'd hoped it to be. Actually, it sounded like more of a question than anything else. What was I doing?

"Is that a question or an answer?" he asked lightly, his back still turned to me as he stood where he had came to a halt in the corridor.

"It's…I-" my words were cut off in the silence as he turned his head slightly so he could meet my eyes. It was not that I was answered with that infamous blood red gaze; I was met with something entirely different. Something that stirred a warm feeling deep inside me. It may have been gone in the next split second, and I'm not sure if I may have been imagining things…But, if I'm not mistaken…

Itachi Uchiha had smiled at me.

I stood there, feeling my face become warm for the second time that day. He turned, and began to walk down that ever-distracting black and white tiled corridor, not even looking back again. I didn't know what exactly had overcome me in the next moment, and I don't know if it was really the right choice. But before I knew it, my feet had begun to take small, tentative steps. All I had was the feeling in my gut to follow. For now, that would have to be enough. Not only that, there was a certain thought that seemed to constantly come back to bite me in the ass, no matter how I always tried to push it back. Really, though…

Maybe he should smile more often.

x0o0x

**Awww, I love Itachi! Wow, I was totally not expecting to come up with most of what happened in this chapter. Especially the Tobi/Madara part, that kind of came up the other alley. Though I kind of liked this chapter, what do you guys think? PLEASE REVIEW AND I WILL FOREVER PROCLAIM MY LOVE TO YOU! Haha, just kidding. But seriously. Review! 3 3 3**


	5. Chapter 5: Mind games

** Hey there, all you little creeps (hehe, totally kidding)! The fifth chapter is here, whooo! Honestly, I'm proud of myself for making it this far ^_^. By the way, I'd like to ask you guys if you want Zetsu and Kazuku and those other slightly unapproachable characters to get some show time with Sakura. I'd feel weird writing it, but I'll try anything once! Anyways, onto the glorious paradise where our favorite sexy badass men await! ~ **

**5**

**Mind games**

I walked quietly a few good feet behind the infamous Itachi Uchiha, my eyes trained on the back of his head. I wondered if he realized I was practically burning a hole in his skull. Where could he be taking me?

_**Hey, I've got an even better question!**_

___And what is that?_

_**WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?**_

___I-I don't know! How would you expect me to know that?_

_**Well, if I'm not mistaken, YOU'RE the one controlling this body, aren't you?**_

___Oh, just shut up! It's not like I could have gotten away at this point, you idiot!_

Surprisingly, the voice I'd grown so accustomed to hearing, did not respond for once. Although a little thrown off, I decided to ignore it for a while and enjoy the undoubtedly temporary silence. Besides, there were much more…_difficult_ situations to be dealt with at the moment. I once again focused on the mysterious Uchiha's back, the image of his oddly refreshing smile flashing back into my mind for the fifth time in just a matter of few minutes. Hastily, I ripped my gaze away. That sight…I needed to get it out of my mind. It was almost as if it put everything else out of focus when it crossed my thoughts. It was irritating, to say the least.

I came to a halt, seeing that he had come to an abrupt stop in front of a plain black door. If I hadn't noticed, I probably would have made a fool of myself yet once again and run straight into him. Suspiciously, that seemed to be happening a lot lately…

"This is your room." he stated, twisting the door knob and swinging the door open, to reveal a very familiar room, the same exact one I'd found when I first awoke in the base. I stood rooted to the ground, giving him a glare.

"I'm not staying in this place." I said, my hands on my hips. I honestly didn't know why I was acting so casual, being in the rare company of an S-class criminal. On any other day, I might have attacked him as soon as he turned his back to me. But this just felt…I don't know, different.

"Are you?" he questioned smoothly. Before I knew it, I was suddenly standing inside of the very room, facing him with an undoubtedly very dumb look on my face. The ever-confusing Uchiha stood in front of me, the bedroom door amazingly closed tight behind him as he leaned casually on it. I stared up at him, dumbfounded.

"How did you?..." I trailed off, shaking my head. Either that didn't happen, or some crazy-ass shit was going on inside my head. But perhaps something I should worry just a little more about was the fact that I was alone in a room with _Itachi Uchiha_.

"Do you really want to escape this place, Sakura?" he asked, endlessly dark eyes focused solely on my face. _Sakura. _The way he'd spoken my name sent shivers down my spine, despite the fact that I wanted to ignore it. He grabbed my wrist, and pulled me forwards a few steps toward him, helping me hold myself steady when I nearly stumbled over him. I met his eyes, shock written all over my face. _Oh my God… What's he doing?_

"Y-Yes…" I answered, averting my gaze. I didn't know how to respond to him. He was _Itachi Uchiha, _after all. I didn't think that he would ever do anything remotely close to this. If he'd been someone else, I might have known what to do. Why was he even asking?

"Oh? You don't seem so sure."

"…I…I am." I repeated more firmly, although still obviously lacking my usual straightforwardness. I couldn't concentrate; because he had removed his hand from my wrist, instead bringing it up to gently caress my right cheek. I met his eyes once again out of pure surprise, realizing that his deep gaze had never once left my face. _What is he trying to do?_

"Surely though, you wouldn't try to escape once again? Or at the very least, not without consulting our Leader so you may understand your situation better…" he tucked a stray pink strand of hair behind my ear, distracting me. _Is that what he was getting at? Trying to confuse me?_

"I may take the offer to speak with your Leader once again, but I do not believe that I will be staying here…Uchiha-san." I said, finding it easier to talk when I wasn't looking at his eyes. I instead, focused on a tiny mole just right beneath his left eye. He noticed this, and moved his hand from where it rested on my right cheek to slip it under my chin. He propped my face up, forcing me to finally meet those deep, heated black eyes that constantly seemed to stir a nervous feeling inside of me.

"Call me Itachi." He said, his gaze falling down to rest on my mouth, as the corner of his thumb brushed across my bottom lip. I barely just noticed the corner of his mouth edge up into a familiar smirk. My heart sky rocketed.

"Itachi-san." I mumbled hesitantly, as I felt his warm breath blow softly against my face.

"Itachi." He corrected me gently. _Oh, for the love of God…_

"…Itachi…" the words left my lips before I could gather enough sense to stop them. Inwardly, I screamed at myself in shame. _What the hell am I doing? He's a missing nin! He's Sasuke's fucking OLDER BROTHER!_

"Beautiful." Itachi gave a slight smirk and dropped his hand from underneath my chin, sliding his fingers lightly down my right arm as he did. I held back a gasp; it would only have amused him.

With one last smoldering look towards me, he turned swiftly and left me speechless, the door closing neatly behind him as he went. I stood there, my jaw hanging open in bewilderment as I stared at the door he had just previously exited.

_**...Okay, I've just got to say…That was undeniably sexy.**_

I couldn't even think of a half decent response to the statement. I was still frozen in the same place I'd been when he'd left, unable to do anything much more than simply gape at the door like a suffocating fish. At this point, I really did not know what was happening. It's like…this was all just one big _mind game. _My face suddenly became excruciatingly warm as the current events registered in my mind. _Oh my God…Did that really just happen?_

If I'm not terribly mistaken…Itachi Uchiha…Itachi Uchiha just _hit on me_.

"Oh my _God_." I never thought I would see the day. Actually, I never even thought about thinking that I would never see the day. This was just too _weird _and out of completely_ nowhere._ This was like…paranormal activity or some crazy shit.

Breaking from my trance, I immediately rushed over to the bed available and shoved my face in the pillow; somewhat hoping the coolness of the fabric would soothe the heat in my cheeks. _Okay, Sakura, calm down. You just have to forget about all these psychopath's and concentrate. There are a lot of more important things to be worrying about. I need something…A plan. Of course._

I needed to think of a game plan. Not necessarily an escape plan; that would have to be one of the last stages. But a master plan, that in general, would eventually get me out of this place _for good_. First of all, it was quite obvious that I could not just outright try to run away from this base. I would just get caught, and probably killed without mercy.

So, naturally, my plan would have to progress in small but meaningful steps. As unwelcoming as the idea was, I knew that my first step would be none other than…waiting. Or being patient for awhile, until I was presented an opportunity. Basically, I needed to wait a few days out until this "Leader" of theirs wanted to talk to me, like…Itachi…had suggested. I couldn't do much until I figured out why I was wanted by the Akatsuki so badly in the first place; not until I could really understand my situation.

And _possibly_, if I happened to be asked to join the organization again, then…I might have to accept it. Not like _really_ accept it, only so it could support my master plan, and keep me alive, at least until my plan was fulfilled. As bizarre and incredibly crazy as it sounded, there was only one simple way to put it. I would have to pretend to be a member of the Akatsuki.

There were many things that could benefit Konoha if I actually went through with this. While being a "member", I could also act as a spy for Konoha, and gather helpful information on the Akatsuki for Tsunade-sama. I could maybe even gain a few new techniques from this experience. On the other hand, this wasn't just_ any_ other mission. I'd made it sound slightly more endurable, but there really wasn't any other way to look at it. I could actually die from this. And while that applies to every mission, this one was completely different. I was feigning membership of one of the most infamous, deadly, _hated_ organizations. _If I was ever to be found out…_

I cringed.

This may seem to have come out of the blue, and to be honest, I really did _not_ want to do this. I might never see Konoha again. I might never see my loved ones again. And even I if actually lived through this, I don't know if I'd ever be let into the village, even though this whole proposal was simply an act. Of course, I would be the only one to truly know that I hadn't betrayed my home village.

_Everyone…_Everyone would think I'd betrayed them, just like Sasuke had.

But now that I'd taken time to think everything out, I didn't think I could possibly come up with another plan that had a higher chance of succeeding. My biggest concern wasn't necessarily to keep myself alive; it was to protect everyone whom I cared about. The main point of this was to maintain the safety of my friends and family, and even Konoha in general. I had no doubt that this "Leader" might want to cause harm to everyone if I refused his offer again. I wasn't sure how much patience that egotistic asshole had…There weren't so many chances like this particular one, one that presents itself so _easily_.

I would just have to do this, for the sake of Konoha.

_Knock, knock._

My sharp emerald eyes flicked towards the door, trying to determine who exactly had come to bother me in my solitary confinement without actually looking. I didn't know if I really wanted to find out, after the last recent scenarios I'd just experienced. If I'd remembered correctly, I'd read that there were members of the Akatsuki that liked to eat…well, _human flesh._

I shivered. I absolutely _hated_ cannibals. Or rather, they scared the shit out of me.

_Knock, knock!_

I flinched at the sound, noting how it became louder and more impatient. _I really don't want to open that door now…_I clenched the bed sheets in my fists, coming to a somewhat random conclusion. If whoever in the hell that person was knocked on my door just _one more time,_ I decided that I would go and see who it was. Of course, this all depended on if they happened to do it before I counted to five. _Please don't, please don't…_

_It's so quiet…_

I waited in the dreaded silence, straining my ears for any type of sound that might carry over from the doorway. _One, two, three, fo-_

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK-_

Literally jumping five feet in the air at the sudden sound, I let out a small scream of shock. Cursing, I reluctantly rose from my spot on the bed and crossed to other side of the room. Very irritated, I swung open the door without even trying to maintain the polite manners that I usually did.

I was met with a very familiar, very smug-looking guy with long blonde hair. I raised one slender pink eyebrow at him. There he was, leaning against the wall opposite from my door, looking at the epitome of calm and collectedness. _Yeah, as if he wasn't trying to break down my door like some crazy mo fo just seconds ago_.

I bit my lip as his deep, clear blue eyes met my own. He smirked at me, a somewhat devilish feeling radiating from him. For some suspicious reason, I had the notion that something very unfortunate was going to happen on my part.

Very suspicious, my hand almost immediately shot out quickly to close the door before I could once again embarrass myself. Deidara was there in an instant, his foot between the crack of the door and the frame. I blinked in shock; I hadn't really noticed him move. He slipped his hand around the door and forcefully pushed it back open once again, his elbows now resting on both sides of the doorframe with ease. Looking up to meet his eyes, I realized that he must have had wide shoulders. A tingly feeling spread through my stomach.

On the contrary, I also realized that he had a very irritated look on his face.

"Why did you try to close this door on me, yeah?" Deidara said, his voice deep and smooth. One eyebrow raised, he stood a head taller than me. I lifted my head so I could look at him, and instantly wanted to look away. The only thing was, I _really_ needed to stop making it obvious that I was flustered in situations like these.

"You creep me out." I said with a glare. He simply laughed at me, a rich, musical sound, while his warm breath blew in my face. I held my glare, determined, as a blush spread across my cheeks.

"Huh. You're amusing, you know that?" Deidara tilted his head slightly at me with a thoughtful expression, his bright blue eyes sweeping slowly across my lips.

"What do you want?" I asked, completely maneuvering around his question, because I had no idea how to respond. Also, the fact that he was alarmingly close to my face was very distracting indeed. At my annoyed tone, Deidara smirked down at me.

"We need you to do something, yeah." He answered, acting indifferent. I narrowed my eyes at him. _Something?_

"_Excuse me?_ I'm not doing shit for _anyone, _especially not _you_ assholes." I boldly refused, obviously insulted. I noticed his grip on the door tightened, as if he perhaps thought I might try to shut the door in his face again.

"That's great. Unfortunately, that's also _too_ bad, because we _assholes_ don't care, yeah." Deidara shrugged, as if he thought that he somehow wasn't an asshole too. _Men these days, I swear..._

My right eye twitched in annoyance. They thought they had the right to order _me_ around? That's just not how god damned life works. You see, _I_ was supposed to hand them _their_ asses, because I was the woman. I mean, I might have to pretend to be an Akatsuki member around these guys, but that didn't mean I had to be nice to them.

"Actually, I've got a better idea. Why don't you be a _real_ man and do it by your damned self?" I said sweetly. Deidara raised one eyebrow at me, but then leaned back in with a sly expression.

"There are a _lot _of better ways to show you I'm a _real _man." He whispered into my ear, and I could just tell he was smirking. My eyes widened. A traitorous blush spread across my cheeks, and I pushed him off of me into the hallway. Deidara staggered back with his hands in front of him, that same smirk still on his face.

"Do not come _anywhere_ near me." I warned him, an edge in my voice. He grinned when he saw I was blushing furiously.

"Yeah, yeah." Deidara chuckled, turning swiftly on his heel, starting to stroll leisurely down the corridor outside the bedroom. I stared after him, with a probably priceless expression on my face. He realized I wasn't moving, and he turned his head back slightly to look at me.

"What?" I asked, sounding somewhat defensive. He gave me a very guy-ish grin.

"Aren't you coming, Sakura?"

My emerald eyes widened at his casual usage of my name. It echoed in my mind, like a distracting mantra. Oddly, it felt…_nice? Wait a second…_

"Will you leave me alone?" I said, hesitantly. He actually seemed to think about it for a few moments, but then came back with another question.

"Are you afraid of me now?" Deidara asked, seeming slightly amused. I scoffed.

"Absolutely _not_. I just think you might…I don't know, _do_…something." I averted my eyes. Suddenly, he unleashed that same laugh that he had earlier. It sounded deep and smooth, yet light and free. I looked at him, caught off guard.

"You're right. Maybe you _should_ stay away from me, yeah. But for _now_, I promise I'll keep my hands to myself." Deidara said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He held his index finger up to his lips in the universal gesture, _it's a secret. _That same ticklish feeling from earlier spread through me once again.

I didn't respond. Actually, its better if I didn't, because I didn't know how to answer something like that, and I prefer _not_ to look like an idiot. Not again, at least.

I realized Deidara was still looking at me. I met his gaze, but he quickly turned away. I watched his back, somewhat befuddled. Everything was just too confusing. _It's like someone's playing mind games with me…_

"Coming, yeah?" he said, still not meeting my eyes. I looked down at my feet, contemplating my answer. Well…It's not like it could really do any harm.

"…Yeah."

Now, I knew that my life would still supremely suck, but I couldn't help but think...Because after all, I really didn't know. I mean, something possibly good might come out of this, right? I just couldn't keep the thought out of my mind.

_Maybe being here won't be _too_ horrible._

But oh, how terribly mistaken I was.

X0o0x

**Okay, everyone tell me how you liked it! Just so you know, the couple voting will start after she meets all the Akatsuki members, and most of them have gotten some show time. On the other hand, pleaseX1000000 review! I swear, it makes me write faster, and better. I absolutely love them. Now I'm sure you got the message, but I'll ask just one more time: Please review! **

**I love all of you! Xoxo**


	6. Chapter 6: Lies

** Okay, so I know that it's been a very long wait, and I'm extremely sorry for that! I'll try not to let that happen again. But hey, stuff happens, ya know? On a less solemn note, this chapter is where the plot line thickens (*cue mysterious music*)! Thank you guys for everything, and here's the next batch of wonderfully spontaneous shit, courtesy of XXXAxelleXXX!**

**6**

**Lies**

"You want me to _what_?" I said, staring at Deidara.

"We need you to cook dinner, yeah." He repeated, oblivious to the fact that I felt like I needed to strangle somebody. Or maybe he did know that, but he just didn't want to be the one strangled. _Hell, I don't blame him._

"I _heard_ you! I mean, why the _hell_ do you need me to cook for you, when there are a whole shitbag of servants in this god forsaken place!" I exclaimed, gesturing to the cabinets and walls of the kitchen in a frustrated manner, as if they too were servants. He stared at me as I made an idiot of myself, the corner of his mouth edging up into a grin in the slightest way.

"Shitbag? Did you honestly just say that, yeah?"

"Well, I…I'm just a very creative pers-"

"Sakura-san." A soft, calm female voice reached my ears, interrupting Deidara's sentence. Surprised, I turned to the source of the sound, to meet a stunningly beautiful woman, looking about in her early twenties. She had silky blue hair, half of which was twisted up into an elegant bun, the rest falling just above her shoulders. Being in her sudden presence, I suddenly felt as if I needed to hold a very respectful and ladylike manner.

"…Yes?" I answered, a slight frown gracing my lips. Her face was passive and smoothly emotionless in a way that usually would have intimidated or irritated me, but there was a certain warmth and kindness in her eyes as she looked at me. Faintly, I recognized her face, yet I could not exactly pick her name from my memory of the Bingo books that I had diligently stored in my mind. _Something with a "K" in it…_

"Pein wishes to talk with you." she said, somehow able to seem so graceful when only speaking a mere number of words. I bit the inside of my bottom lip, refusing to reveal the bubble of nerves that had erupted inside me. _Had I done something wrong?_

"Oh…" I said, not quite sure how I was supposed to respond to her words. Before I could say much more, the woman soon took the initiative.

"Please follow me." She said calmly, drawing me towards her with a gentle, cool gaze. Somewhat intimated and admiring of her beauty, I simply nodded and followed her. Unlike all of the previous acquaintances I'd come across, I didn't feel the need to snap or be stubborn around her. Perhaps it was because she didn't spew perverted things or order me around, or maybe just because she was too a female; someone slightly more familiar in this pack of hot blooded, strange men.

"Um…If you don't mind me asking, why does this Leader guy want to see me?" I asked as we made our way down the hallway of dizzying black and white tiles, my palms sweaty with nervousness. She glanced my way, a slightly humorous expression on her face. I was surprised, but it went just as quickly as it had come.

"You don't need to worry. Pein simply wishes to discuss his reasons." She answered smoothly, her face once again blank and emotionless. Unfortunately, when it was like that, she gave absolutely nothing away. I didn't know if I could trust her. Despite the fact that I had some proof that I wasn't going to get my ass killed, nervous feelings still swirled inside of me. _His reasons? What is that supposed to mean? _

I was dying inside to ask, but I was still wary of this woman, no matter how gentle or beautiful she looked. I didn't want to push my luck. At the same time, I did not want to seem too painfully obvious or nosy.

"Here we are." She said, stopping in front yet _another_ plain, black door. Yes, just like all the _other_ fucking doors in this place. I grimaced, suddenly feeling a lot more nervous than I had a few moments ago. I smoothed my damp palms over my thighs, wiping the perspiration that had built up. The nameless woman gave me a passive stare. I sighed. Well, that sure didn't help my confidence.

Nonetheless, I pushed open the door before she could, because I rarely liked other people to take control of the situation for me. I was met with a dark, suspicious room that, oddly, had an ethereal feel to it. I was stunned by the strange attractiveness that it seemed to hold.

Unlike the rest of the rooms I had seen in this vicinity, this particular one was completely made of rough, black granite. It continued from the walls on to the floor, surrounding me in a sea of darkness, almost like a cave that you might find on the rise of a mountain or cliff. The most astounding though, was the stained glass window that extended across most of the small ceiling, colorful and peaceful. It was beautiful in a simple, yet satisfying way. Directly underneath the pane of multicolored, entrancing glass, was a simple desk. It was placed in the center of the office, unable to avoid. But perhaps the man sitting behind that very desk was what left me the most unsettled.

_The leader of the Akatsuki, Pein._

Despite the flecks of colored light that rested on his face in jagged, distorted slashes, he seemed even more intimidating than he had before. The light bounced off his numerous piercings, creating a much unhelpful tense atmosphere. Maybe that was the point of the stained glass, after all.

"Sakura Haruno." Pein addressed me solemnly, his voice seeming to boom abruptly in the silence. He sat calmly with his fingers threaded together atop his desk, his mouth hovering closely behind them, so that I was only met with his foreboding, ringed gaze. Despite the way I was feeling right now, I couldn't help but think that this was all just too ridiculously cliché.

"Pein." I responded, dismissing the slightly worrisome fact that I had just called the leader of an s-class organization by his _first name_. At this point, though, it didn't matter to me. If I was going down, then I sure as hell was going down with my pride. And style, of course.

His eyes slightly narrowed at my casual usage of his name, but he concealed it well. Of course, he _had_ to act all calm and collected, because he was just too cool for anything else. If he was pissed, then it only confirmed my suspicions about him having a major god complex.

_**Yeah, I know, like pull out the tampon and stop being a little bitch, seriously.**_

I somewhat choked at the sudden comment, my hand flying to my mouth to muffle the undoubtedly rude laughter that might have escaped. As truthful as it may have been, I still didn't want dig myself an even deeper hole. Pein raised one eyebrow at me in the most suspicious way, but seemed to think it was minor enough that he could ignore it.

"I have called you here to discuss your membership of the Akatsuki, and to share with you my reasons for having my men capture you." he said, a completely emotionless expression spreading across his features once again. Immediately, I became solemn at the mention of the topic, as well. A familiar feeling of confusion rolled over me for about the fifteenth time that day.

"So I see. Then why exactly, have you chosen _me,_ in a whole myriad of perfectly capable and daunting shinobi? Furthermore, why even go to the extent to pick one who hasn't severed their ties with their home village? Certainly, it's obvious that there could obviously be much trouble avoided, if you had simply sought after a missing nin. You realize that Konoha will now become even more of a problem for you?" I explained, my jade green eyes fixed to his own strange, frightening pair without a flinch. I kept my hands folded neatly behind my back, standing in an almost respectful manner.

"You have made a valid point, but it is unfortunate that I cannot afford to release you for various reasons. One, possibly being the most apparent, is that you are a vital need of the Akatsuki. Simply put, we need you." he looked almost pained to let the words leave his mouth, yet he tried to seem as if he wasn't disgusted at the thought that _his _organization needed help from anyone. My eyebrows furrowed together.

"But why _me_? What is so important about me that you couldn't find it in someone else?" I tried again, yearning for a straight answer this time, one that would finally make sense. I mean, surely, there were many other medics they could have snatched away, right?

"You see, Haruno, that is a very long story."

"Tell me." I answered just as quickly as his sentence had ended. Pein paused, looking at me through slitted eyes.

"I would have even if you didn't want to know." He replied, seeming somewhat insulted that I dared to even make a request to him. I glared back, a wave of stupidity washing over me. _Or course he would. Why didn't I think of that?_

"There are various things I must explain to you for you to understand. First of all, your ability. Plainly put, you possess a rare power that has not been recorded within the last ten decades." Pein said, his stoic gaze never seeming to leave my face. Blankly, I stared back at him.

"Umm, okay. And what is that?" I asked, already feeling like this was the first load of shit in the whole line of other assorted loads of shit. His lips were pressed in a firm, unamused line; he knew that I did not register nor believe a word he had just said.

"It is called the _Genso shiryoku_. It means elemental death force."

I raised one slender eyebrow. "Huh. And what is so great about this "Ginza shiryaku"?"

"It's _Genso shiryoku_, Haruno." Pein stated cryptically.

"Well, _excuse me._" I muttered under my breath, but I was quite sure that he had heard me nonetheless. Even so, he yet again ignored my antics.

"It is a special rare ability that only few in the past have had. It is immensely powerful, and deemed unsafe and dangerously reckless by many of the higher-ups. We, however, do not view it as a problem. To us, it is a blessing."

_**Oh. My. God. I swear, I've seen this in a movie before.**_

___I know. I mean, this is pure bullshit. Remember, it was that one about the-_

_**For God's sake, listen to the him! Not me!**_

___Wha- You were the one that distracted me in the first place, you retard!_

_**Psshhh, yeah. Like, WHATEVER.**_

___I swear, you-_

_** You really wanna finish that sentence? Cuz' now he's looking at you like your mentally ill.**_

"Haruno, I'd appreciate it if you would actually listen to what I have the persistence to tell you." Pein stated, seeming rather irritated. I shrugged.

"Sorry about that. I was busy thinking about how this is atotal_ waste of time_."

"Are you trying to test my patience?"

"And what if I am?"

"You'll find that I have _very_ little of it." His strange eyes seemed to glint in the darkness as the words left his mouth, meant to be interpreted as menacing in every way possible. Silently, and with a bit of a struggle, I sealed my rebellious mouth shut. I nodded, and tried not to notice the lazy satisfaction in his gaze.

"The last person to have owned the _Genso shiryoku _was a woman named Kaeda Tsuyoshi. 100 years ago, exactly." Pein continued, seeming to speak in the most agonizingly_ slow_ manner. It was _so _annoying.

"Okay, that's great for her. Now why would you think that _I _have this power, so to speak?" I tried, quite exasperated with the horribly lagging pace of this conversation. And that was _weird_. I should be way more concerned with the fact that I'm even_ having_ this conversation, with _this _nut, of all people.

"She made a prophecy, in the face of death. They were her last words. And they were about _you_, Haruno. For these past ten decades, millions of people have sought out to find you."

I blinked, opening my mouth to speak. Unfortunately, no words came out. I wasn't quite sure how I was supposed to respond to that. So I simply gave him a blank, speechless look.

"Also, there is yet another contributing factor to my suspicions that you are the one Kaeda had spoken about."

_**Ooh, he called you "The One".**_

"That is?" I asked, my fingers subconsciously twisted together behind my back. For some reason, I had started to become a little nervous. It just _had_ to be because of the way he was talking.

"She was your direct ancestor." His ringed, purple gaze closed in on me. An uneasy feeling stirred deep inside of me as I balled my hands in to fists.

"You can't be- That's _impossible_. You said her name was Kaeda Tsuyoshi. She's not even a Haruno." I shook my head lightly, my bright jade eyes never swaying from his own. The corner of Pein's mouth edged up in a small, sly smirk.

"Yes, she was. She married into the Tsuyoshi family. Her real name was Kaeda Haruno."

"Well- that doesn't mean anything. That doesn't mean that I have this…_power_ that you speak of." I fumbled for the correct words, noticing that the air had grown noticeably thicker and tenser. Or maybe it was just me. Either way, I'd never heard anything about a Kaeda Haruno. _Never._

"But, why yes, Haruno, it does indeed mean something. The one spoken about in the prophecy is a female, one around the young age as Kaeda had been when she was executed. You are the only existing adolescent female in the Haruno clan, yes?"

"…Yes, I am. As far as I know, at least..." I answered, hesitantly.

"Exactly. Not only must that shock you, but there is yet another fact that will rather…_startle_ you." Pein said, calculating me as though wondering if I would be able to handle the next batch of shit he dropped on me.

"Yes - and _that_ is?" I asked, my lower lip trembling ever so slightly, like it always did when I became nervous. Even so, I kept my gaze strong and unwavering. I would _not_ show my weak side.

"I'm quite sure you remember the incident of your parents assassination by the Hidden Village of Cloud, two years ago?" he responded.

A sharp feeling of pain panged inside of my chest, at the mention of my parents. I averted my eyes from his own intense pair, subconsciously sinking my teeth in to my lower lip. I didn't want to talk about this. Especially not with _him_. _Why?...Why would he bring that up now?_

"Yes." I said, my tone clipped and stiff, as if there were something heavy in my jaw. Pein seemed to notice my uneasiness, but decidedly ignored it. God, I _really_ did _not_ want to talk about this. I never did; not even with my closest friends. Not even Tsunade, and she was basically a second mother to me.

"They were not your real parents."

Slowly, I lifted my head, turning my gaze to him. My lips were parted, but I couldn't seem to find the right words. Or any words, for that matter. _What the hell?..._

"What-What are you _talking_ about?" I stuttered. I _must_ have heard him wrong. To hear him say that…that's just impossible. Totally off topic and random and so _not true_. It couldn't be.

"In other words, they were skilled impersonators of your real mother and father. They had been undercover since you were ten years of age. As of now, the whereabouts of your biological parents are unknown. Their real names-"

"Wait. Slow down. I…I don't understand. Or I _do_, but you must have the wrong person. I can't be who you're looking for." I interrupted Pein, before I could become even more confused.

"No, Haruno. You are without a doubt, the one we have been searching for." He replied, without a flinch despite all of the times I had abruptly interrupted his sentences.

"I won't believe you. I can't, and I never will. Because…I _know_ that they were my parents. My real parents. Because they loved me."

"I'm afraid you're the one mistaken, girl. All of these things that you insist on believing in, they are not the truth." Pein stated, his eyes as hard as steel, his words as cold as ice. For the umpteenth time, I had no idea how to respond. I blinked back the ridiculous warm, wet feeling that pricked at my eyes. _Seriously?...I'm going to cry _now_, of all times?_

He seemed to notice the traitorous tears that had begun to build up in my sad eyes. He seemed to notice that I was trying to hold them back, all of my feelings, all of my confusion, all of my _hurt_. But alas, he yet again stared back at me with that same, unfeeling, harsh gaze. Candidly, I wondered if he ever felt anything, if he even _had_ emotions. As a decent response popped into my mind, I dug my fingernails into the flesh of my thigh. I narrowed my bright jade green eyes at him.

"So, what are you trying to say? That I don't know what I'm talking about, that what you say- all of _this_- is true? The _real_ truth?" I asked sincerely. Truthfully, I just wanted to _know_. I just wanted to know, and then be finally done with all of this.

"No, Haruno. What I'm trying to say, is that you've been living a lie your whole life. And it's finally time for you to _wake up_."

X0o0X

**OH YEAH, bet ya'll didn't see THAT coming, DID YOU? Or who knows, maybe you're a freaking awesome psychic and you**_** did**_** see that coming. Oh well, whether you knew my every move or not, tell me if you like the way the story is going! Oh, and tell me if you want Pein to be a love interest for Sakura as well. Honestly, I think PeinXKonan is wund-ah-ful, but it's up to you guys! Anyhoo, I've already started working on the next chapter, so it should be up soon, unless more shit happens! Thanks to all of you! Oh, and by the way, I LOVE reviews *wink wink*!**

**Lots of love3**


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